Cable, satellite and Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) systems typically employ a Set-Top Box (STB) unit that is connected to the source of programming and also provides one or more signals for input to television or other viewing devices. A STB unit typically allows a subscriber to select programming to view or to avail themselves of other features or services. Such features or services may include television programming, on-demand programming, and/or digital video recorder (DVR) capabilities, which may be incorporated in the STB.
Viewers of televisions and other viewing devices may desire to view more than one video signal simultaneously. Instead of splitting the screen into multiple equal portions, a reduce size image, such as a picture-in-picture (PIP), is presented within the image of the primary video signal being observed. In networks where bandwidth is limited, such as during the delivery of high definition (HD) video signals, signal service providers may seek to reduce bandwidth that is allocated to the sending of various signals.